The Outlaw Josey Wales - 4K Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

The Outlaw Josey Wales



Movie:
4K Video:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:

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Movie
I swear, Clint Eastwood is the actor/director who just won’t quit. The man has been starring in movies since 1955, is 96 years old, and STILL directs movies to this day. He may not be as prolific as he was during his heyday, but the name “Clint Eastwood” still draws immediate respect and turns heads wherever it's mentioned. Clint is easily in my top 5 actors of all time lists and one of the few actors I will buy EVERY movie he’s in, even if it’s not my favorite. So you can guess just how excited I was this last week to get in 3 of Clint’s most popular films on 4K UHD from Warner, and have been relishing every moment.

While Dirty Harry is the iconic “tough as nails cop” movie that appeals to the action crowd, The Outlaw Josey Wales is one of Clint’s most iconic western roles outside of 1992’s Unforgiven (I still waffle back and forth which one is better). While the late 80s and early 90s spelled out the death rattle for the blockbuster Western film, the 1970s were just BARELY past the apex of the genre. Not to mention the fact that Eastwood was already a household name thanks to the 1960s, where he cut his teeth on the genre with Sergio Leone and the spaghetti westerns. Couple that with the fact that Eastwood had started directing a few years back with Play Misty for Me and Dirty Harry, and The Outlaw Josey Wales has the stars align JUST right for this last epic western.

The Outlaw Josey Wales sells itself off the bat as a revisionist revenge western, where farmer Josey Wales (Clint Eastwood) watches his family burned alive and killed by the violent union mercenary Captain Terrill (Bill McKinney), only to leave Josey himself for dead. Burying his family and vowing revenge, Wales joins up with the Confederate army and rides with Captain Fletcher (John Vernon) until they’re the last group of rebel soldiers who haven’t surrendered to the Union. When Captain Fletcher and the rest of the unit decide to turn themselves in, Wales is once more the only man refusing to let the war go. A decision that ultimately ends up saving his life as he watches the Union forces slaughter his fellow soldiers like dogs after Fletcher betrays them. Now, with Fletcher and Captain Terrill hot on his heels, Josey Wales heads deeper into the Western territory to try and escape his fate.

On the surface, it is easy to just chalk up the film as a basic revenge western, but that really couldn’t be further from the truth. Sure, the film starts with Wales looking for revenge on the Union soldier who murdered his wife and kids, but that’s really only a small portion of the film. Eastwood carefully crafts a slightly revisionist take on the end of the war, taking a glimpse into the perspectives and lives of people caught on the other side of the conflict, as well as dispelling some of the overly glorified heroics of the conflict. It deconstructs the aftermath of the Great War, giving credence to both Union and Confederate perspectives alike, as well as humanizing them in a way that allows the audience to both sympathize with Wales as well as see his more sociopathic elements.

The Outlaw Josey Wales is easily one of Eastwood’s truly great westerns, and probably the first film that he ever directed that was actually great as well (Dirty Harry is excellent, but it falls JUST short of true greatness in my opinion). It’s a long, sprawling western. But also one that includes enough gun battles and brutal violence to keep it moving at a good clip. Eastwood has perfected his tough-as-nails persona down to a T, and while it doesn’t break any new ground, the gravely voice and vicious nature of his character blend seamlessly with the brutality of the old classic west (or at least the image we have of it). Eastwood is spot on perfect for his role, while Chief Dan George acts as the mildly comedic foil to Eastwood’s harshness. I will forever say that his romance with Sondra Locke’s Laura in the film (who he would go on to star opposite of in the next year’s The Gauntlet) is a bit forced though, and his relationship with the squaw Little Moonlight (Geraldine Kearms) was a much more believable (chemistry wise) relationship. But that little nitpick aside, is about the only thing I can find at fault with The Outlaw Josey Wales, and not even enough for me to drop it a half star on my rating.




Rating:

Rated PG by the MPAA




4K Video: Video:

While the press release for The Outlaw Josey Wales doesn’t specify if it got the same 8K scan that Dirty Harry got, the master they used for the 4K UHD is certainly stunning. Comparing it against my old Blu-ray is a night and day experience, with a much richer image, better grain structure, and stunning details. The 2011 Blu-ray was certainly great looking back in the day, and the color grading is strikingly similar, but I’m willing to bet a good chunk of money that this is using a MUCH newer master. The film has no shortage of jaw-dropping visuals, with stunning prairie highlights and grimy blood and guts during the shootouts. Browns and greens pop up more than anything, with dusty frontier towns and the luscious foliage of the Midwest and Southwest. I loved Dirty Harry’s new remaster, but it was hampered by a very gritty filming style that wasn’t always conducive to clarity and focus. This image, though. Wow, we’re talking about a GREAT looking image that is the best this film has ever seen, and actually earns my rare 5/5 ratings.







Audio:

Identical to Dirty Harry, Warner has given us the original 2.0 theatrical mix in DTS-HD MA Lossless, while also supplying a brand new Dolby Atmos track. Also, like Dirty Harry, the theatrical mix has been missing from home video releases for literally decades, and the inclusion is VERY much appreciated. And while the 5.1 Mix was not nearly as controversial as the Dirty Harry issue, it still frustrated film fan purists who wanted the original mix back.

That being said, I like the Dolby Atmos track that Warner Bros. made for this film. Almost guiltily so, as I’m usually a huge proponent of the theatrical mix. Watching the film with both tracks, I have to give accolades for how well Warner preserved the feel of the original mix, while expanding it out and giving a ton more low end to it. The 2.0 track is certainly great, with a clear, vibrant sound to it. But the Atmos mix is just superb on a technical front. Vocals are crisp and cleanly replicated in the front of the room, while the surrounds and mains get a ton of activity during the copious gun battles. Not to mention that the bass response during the final shootout with Terrill and his men is just phenomenal. Simply put, fans of the original mix AND fans of Atmos should both be pleased, as both mixes are phenomenal in their own right.







Extras:

• Audio Commentary with film critic Richard Schickel
• NEW! An Outlaw and An Antihero
• NEW! The Cinematography of an Outlaw: Crafting Josey Wales
• Clint Eastwood's West
• Eastwood in Action
• Hell Hath No Fury: The Making of The Outlaw Josey Wales
• KINDA NEW! Reinventing Westerns

Final Score: ​

Clint Eastwood’s first really great directorial film (and also his last western for a decade until he came back with Pale Rider) still stands up nearly 50 years later with a great cast, a great score, and a nuanced take on post-Civil War issues. The Blu-ray was always a personal favorite of mine over the years, and now the 4K has eclipsed that with an amazing 4K remaster and stunning audio. Plus, we actually get some new extras as well. I gave Dirty Harry a “must buy” rating, but I have to give this one a “you’re a fool if you don’t buy this” rating for The Outlaw Josey Wales.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Chief Dan George, Bill McKinney, John Vernon
Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Written by: Forrest Carter, Philip Kaufman, Sonia Chernus
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 HEVC
Audio: English: Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Core), English DTS-HD MA 2.0 (Original Audio), French, Spanish DD 2.0
Subtitles: French, Spanish, English SDH
Studio: Warner Bros
Rated: PG
Runtime: 135 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: April 29th, 2025

Recommendation: Must Buy